


A Fateful Dream

by theendlessrose



Category: Original Work
Genre: Don’t read this please I beg you, F/M, keep scrolling~, this is meant for my close friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 07:00:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28862961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theendlessrose/pseuds/theendlessrose
Summary: The first time they met...it was so long ago, thank fate for bringing them together.





	1. A Night to Remember

Leonora would always have these dreams, a boy sitting at the top of a hill, lush green grass surrounding his delicate features. His hair was a beautiful shade of white, dusty red at the tips. What really stood out, however, was his fluffy ears! He seemed to be a kitsune, which severely worried her...demons were well known to hunt down angels, killing them in the name of revenge towards a god far above them, literally...

...But this time it was different.

An encounter with a demon always seemed a frightening thought to her, but she felt a sense of comfort from him. He was almost enticing her to move closer. 

And so she did, rather quickly.

The boy looked back, and his eyes widened. Who was that? Why did she...have wings? They were so white, almost too much so..And then it hit him.

Angel.

She’s an angel, literally. 

An angel, in his dreams? What in the actual fuck was going on?! Who is that wh-

WHY IS SHE GETTING CLOSER THE FUCK-

Lupin almost instinctively backed away, but something urged him to stay, and wait for the angel. Surely she had to realize what he was? Shouldn’t she be afraid? Shouldn’t she be running away from him, not toward him?

Apparently not, because she appeared right next to him. Bright golden eyes staring into his pale pink orbs, soft blonde hair cascaded down her back, and curling over the feathers of her grand, blanc wings. “So pretty...”he thought aloud. He didn’t realize he voiced his thoughts, though, and the girls cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of pink, eventually taking over the entirety of her pale face.

Her eyes had widened, pools of gold seeming to shine even more than before. 

“A-ah! Uhm..”, she managed to stutter, “ Th-thank you..uhm..though, I didn’t expect to get a compliment from a demon, of all beings...” she looked away from him, and Lupin had already found himself so missing those bright orbs of hers. 

The kitsune snapped out of his trance, and sputtered out a quick apology before calming himself, and looking away. They kind of got off on the wrong foot, and he really wanted to properly introduce himself to her, but little miss blonde beat him to it.

“You are...a kitsune, correct?” She asked politely. Lupin nodded, confused, and expectant. “Well, Mr.Kitsune, I am Leonora, daughter of the heavenly order, and seraphim serving under our lord.” Leonora spoke confidently, and even bowed her head. Her demeanor had completely changed from before, the shyness that washed over her long gone. She was truly admirable, but...it was like she was taunting him, challenging him to beat her title or something of the sort.

He wasn’t one to back down from a challenge, no matter how trivial it may be.

So he stood up to his full height, completely towering over the little Leonora. The fox crossed his arms and painted a sly smirk upon his face, one of his sharp fangs poked out slightly. He looked down on her, the angle rather pleased him. She was practically shivering, but she didn’t back down. ‘How cute~’ Lupin thought to himself.

“Well, miss ‘daughter of the heavenly order’, “ he grabbed her chin with the sharp of his claw, causing a dot of blood to seep out of her porcelain skin, ” I’m pretty confident that you know what I am. Though I’ll say it again for your sake, dearie.” The fox released the claw that dug into her chin, causing Leonora to quickly clasp it in her hand, in hopes that it may stop the blood.

Pale pink orbs stared hungrily into gold, his smirk only growing. “I am Lupin Leviz, leader of Hell’s most esteemed hunters...surely you know what that means, dearie?” Lupin leaned in, licking his lips as he savored the sheer terror that had donned Leonora’s face. Her once flushed cheeks were now barren like a wasteland. Her pupils went from dilated to minuscule, and her eyes widened even more than before.

Lupin’s euphoria dissipated quickly, however.

Leonora straightened herself out, that determined mask from before had returned, and the kitsune noted that she must have been used to feigning confidence, she’s done this twice now.

“On the contrary, Mr. Kitsune,” the name irked him, but he didn’t dare to say such a thing, ”I am not afraid of you, in fact, I felt an urge pulling me towards you...your figure on the hill was...” the angel looked away, and paused, “...so enticing, so beautiful, I... ” the shy demeanor from before had quickly taken over again, her ridiculous facade finally drifted away. She was much, much cuter this way...’waIT WHAT WHY DOES THAT MATTER??’ He thought to himself. What was coming over him, he was supposed to hate her! An angel like her deserved to die in the name of vengeance, how dare she look up at him with such beautiful eyes...it wasn’t fair, not at all.

Something stirred deep within Lupin’s body, he wasn’t sure what though. He hadn’t ever seen any angel that looked like Leonora. She was like an enchantress, edging him on endlessly, and his curiosity just had to get the best of him, didn’t it?

Surprised by her description, he spoke, “You...think I’m enticing? Hehe, oh dearie you really know how to flatter me, don’t you~? And we’ve only just met, hahahaha!” Leonora, now more embarrassed than all the times before, buried her face in her hands, in hopes that it may hide her from Lupin’s ever sharpening gaze.

The kitsune coughed and looked down to his side, catching Leonora’s attention. He quietly muttered, “...I do admit though, I felt like killing you when I spotted you running up the hill but...”, a deep blush had settled on the fox’s unbelievably pale cheeks, “...I couldn’t bring myself to even think about such a thing when you looked at me with those eyes of yours, so curious and searching for answers.” Lupin looked back up to the girl, expectant, waiting for a reply from the melodic tones of her voice.

Leonora, a bit taken aback, had sat down on the grass beneath her, contemplating the series of events that had just occurred. Lupin took a seat right next to her, still waiting for a reply. The angel looked up at him with confused eyes.

“So...”, she started, “you know this is a dream, correct?” The fox nodded, he was quite sure it was. “That must mean we’re both in a separate world right now, and for whatever reason, fate has brought us together...” she looked down in thought, bringing a finger to her chin, rubbing at the spot where the kitsune had prodded her earlier.

Lupin nodded again, “That’s what it seems like, yes.” He continued, voicing  
his thoughts, “It feels more serene than usual, now that you’re here...Leonora, right?” Lupin knew he was crossing a line that wasn’t meant to be crossed with this single sentence, but he didn’t care. This girl was tempting him. What does it matter if she’s an angel? That just makes it all the more interesting.

Leonora nodded “Yes, and you, Lupin? How long have you been having this dream for?” 

Lupin gazed at her curious face, then back to the almost too perfect scenery from the hill, “As long as I can possibly remember, these dreams have really been my only source of comfort during these troubling times...” The fox locked his eyes with the angel’s, “What’s heaven like, Leonora? I’ve always been taught that it’s a paradise for those worthy enough..is that true?”

The girl pondered for a moment, then proceeded to answer his question, “ In a way, yes, it is as you’ve been told. But heaven isn’t the paradise it’s made out to be. In reality, heaven is...not in the best of states. There is much misfortune and poverty for those that do not reside in the minuscule percentage of privileged individual, and I am one of those individuals...” 

Leonora’s once bright and curious eyes had dimmed. Lupin found himself missing the girls once cheery demeanor. The fox outstretched his palm to her back, and patted it gently, as if to reassure her (he noted how smooth and soft her skin was, a blush crossing his cheeks at the thought.)... but of what? He just met this girl, why did he feel so inclined to comfort her? He’s never acted this touchy, especially to an angel, of all beings.

Nonetheless, he allowed himself to confide to the girl, appreciating the peace her presence brought him.

“I know I’ve just met you but...I feel like you’re someone who wouldn’t ever let such a cruel thing happen to those people if you had any control over it.” Lupin said with a smile.

He smiled. Not smirked, smiled.

Leonora felt her heart start to race.

“U-uhm, Lupin...” said boy’s ears perked at the mention of his name, “...could you...tell me about hell? I’ve always been so intrigued, but since I’m guarded all the time, I’ve never had the time to look too deep into it..” she looked up at him with expectant gold orbs, a faint pink flushing her cheeks.

Lupin, regaining his confidence, grabbed the girl by the shoulder, and leaned in. Their shoulders were now touching, and Leonora noted how cool to the touch the boy’s gold shoulder guards felt on her skin, it sent a chill up her spine.

Oh also she’s beet red, how could she be more flustered?

“Aww is the little angel interested in me and my home~?” the fox smirked. ‘He seems to have a big ego..’ the angel noted. Lupin released her from his grip, much to her...dismay? Why does she feel so disappointed? Her stomach felt like it was doing flips, and the boy must have noticed, because his smirk grew even wider.

“I-It’s only fair!” Leonora exclaimed, “I told you about my home, so you should return the f-favor!” She sure was stuttering a lot, huh? It only made her more endearing to the sly fox.

But he couldn’t turn down such a cute request, now, could he?

And so there they sat, conversing for much longer than either of them anticipated. There was an unspoken pledge between the two, to never let anyone know of this dream, or ‘world’. 

It was theirs, and they intended to keep it that way, waiting for the next time they’d meet.


	2. Morning Thoughts

The morning after meeting Lupin in that ‘dream’, Leonora would find herself missing the foxes company. They had talked together for the entirety of the night, and yet when the sun started to rise, he vanished into thin air. ‘It must have been a way to show that Lupin woke up, I wonder if the same thing happened to me?’ She thought to herself. If he vanished, then that must’ve meant that the world in which they met was not fully ingrained into reality. But she knows that it must be at least somewhat real, her interactions with Lupin proved as much. He was the head hunter in hell, and she’s heard stories of his endeavors...

☒☒☒

Six Bodies were found brutally mutilated beyond recognition, their wings all had been torn out. There were two angels that had escaped that day, and they both reported seeing a demon, a kitsune to be exact, that had killed their entire group. The kitsune had plainly obvious white hair and sharp white fox ears. His eyes were a bright shade of pink, and his skin was white as snow, almost dead looking. Leonora was so in shock because of the gruesome nature the bodies were left in, she decided to look around for information regarding this demon. Keeping his reported looks in mind, she found out this demon’s name to be ‘Lupin Leviz’, an extremely skilled hunter, or as she liked to call them, murderers. Leonora distributed this information to the high-ranking angels in her circle, deciding it would be best for them to know in case they ever happened to encounter the kitsune. ‘Better safe than sorry’ she thought…

☒☒☒

The seraphim sighed, what had she gotten herself into? The boy she met in her dreams was not a cold-hearted murderer, he was a kind, thoughtful, passionate, and mischievous individual. He made her feel so safe, and comforted, which only worsened her situation. Lupin was supposed to be her enemy, a demon of hell, a contributor to her father’s own death…but…

...She couldn’t help the feelings that made their way into her heart.

His sly smirk kept replaying in her head, the way his eyes ever so slightly crinkled upwards, even the fang that couldn’t help poking out from his lips. And even after she’d rid her head of such  
thoughts, the way he smiled when he tried to comfort her filled the angel with a feeling that she couldn’t quite describe. She didn’t think seeing a demon, of all beings, smile would ruin her this much. 

Leonora was so busy in her thoughts, looking outside the grand window of her bedroom to notice the extra weight that pressed itself onto her mattress.

Calculating hazel eyes studied the oblivious girl in front of him, patiently waiting for the seraphim to notice. ‘Typical Leonora, hehe’ he thought quietly to himself.

It had been a couple of minutes before the girl realized there was another presence in the room with her, as she slowly looked to her right, she pondered for a few moments…

...what was this man’s name again?

Her memories of him were solid, but she forgot something as trivial as his name.

Curse her awful memory.

Hurrying to the table by her bed, she picked up the holy tome that served as her weapon, and flipped to the third page, looking up and down a long list of names with short descriptions by each one. She finally stumbled upon his name, breathing a sigh of relief. 

With a not-so-relieved sigh, she shouted, “Alaric!” The sudden tonal change made said male reach to cover his ears. Maybe intruding into a ladies personal space wasn’t the best of ideas.

“You frightened me, Alaric! I was so deep in my thoughts that I hadn’t even noticed you sat on my bed!” A red flush came across Leonora’s cheeks, Alaric had tried this same tactic to get her attention many times before, and it had always worked, much to her own dismay.

The man chuckled, his dulled golden wings slightly flapping behind him. Alaric brushed a caramel toned hand through his deep brown hair, allowing it to fall neatly and frame his cheeks. He was handsome, no doubt, but that didn’t change the fact that he pulled this kind of shit.

“Well, I kept calling your name but you didn’t respond, so I had to resort to my usual method.” He stated. “And I apologize, I know how frightened you can get...besides that, I see that your memory hasn’t gotten any better, truly a pity.” Alaric inquired. The girl’s memory was always a curious thing, she never told him what had happened to cause such an issue, but that was probably because she forgot it. He wanted to get to the bottom of it, just so he could see his dearest friend live normally again. 

Leonora looked down to her side, a pang of sadness ran through her body, but she quickly brushed it off. The girl had a lot of work to get through with today, and she wanted to go to sleep as early as possible to see if she would meet Lupin again. She wouldn’t be able to achieve that if she sulked around all day like a depressed sack of potatoes.

...why was she looking forward to seeing him?

Brushing the thought off, she looked back to Alaric and formed a small smile, “It’s okay, something so trivial shouldn’t need to be apologized for. And I am completely fine with my memory, it’s just something I’ve come to accept. Besides, there are much more important matters to deal with! Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got to get going.” Leonora opened up the tome once more, seemingly writing something down in it.

That tome was a holy artifact that had been gifted to Leonora by her father, God. (Now that Alaric thought about it, that would make her a princess in a way. ( Fitting for someone as graceful as her.) Knowing this fact, Alaric knew that anything she wrote in that tome was extremely delicate information, only allowed to her prying eyes.

...But it was so early in the morning, what could she possibly be writing about that was important enough to be eligible as contents of that tome? It was very odd to him, but he decided not to pry further, instead watching as the girl's petite figure made its way out of the room.

...

It was dead silent, no other presence in the room but his. 

“I’m all alone now…” He thought aloud. “The sheets are the same as they always were...the room glows with her light...oh what a wonderful light it is…” With a light sigh, Alaric gripped the bedding between his fingers, bringing it up to his face. Her scent lingered in the air, and he reveled in its notes as he melted into the bed.

His eyes glinted darkly, tones of green and brown mixed within his subtle pools.

“If any dares to harm you…” he started with a snarl…

“I will most certainly make sure they regret the day they were brought into this world.”


	3. Wondering Thoughts

Another day of mundane tasks and reports, finally over with.

Most of the mundane tasks Leonora had to do weren’t actually mundane, they were extremely important to bettering the conditions that heaven was currently in. As heaven’s “princess” ( she really hated that name ), she had to take on the tasks that her father would’ve originally taken. She just kind of...underestimated them a little.

Even though she was bored out of her mind signing papers and listening to reports all day, she at least had one thing to look forward to.

Her dream with Lupin.

She felt the tiniest bit…guilty? An angel and a demon were not supposed to get along, especially her and Lupin. The kitsune was a well known murdering machine, reportedly slaughtering any angels that he’d caught sight of, and she was heaven’s beacon of hope, it’s savior. But, whenever she had the chance to actually speak with him, she found him to be quite charming...dear lord if Alaric heard her say that, she wouldn’t hear the end of it.

Alaric is one of Leonora’s childhood friends. She had only fond memories of the caramel skinned angel, and she remembers particularly that whenever she was in danger, he would come to her rescue no matter the situation. 

Like one time, she had come upon a venomous snake whilst picking flowers in a meadow, and got bit by the pesky little thing. Alaric had somehow known that she was in danger, and carried her away right as she slipped into unconsciousness. Whenever she woke up, she found that the boy had been desperately nursing her back to good health…

ஓ๑•๑ஓ

_...bright golden eyes fluttered open slowly, pupils dilating in a desperate attempt to get used to the lighting of the room. Alaric’s eyes had widened, tears immediately forming in the corners of his hazel pools at the sight of the awakening girl. He grasped Leonora in a tight embrace, gripping for dear life onto her back, as if she would disappear at any moment. “Oh thank t-the heavens you’re awake! I-I was so worried I’d lose you I-I-”_

He was cut off by the girl’s hoarse voice.

“Alaric, what were you so worried for?” Leonora asked wearily, trying to pull away from the boy. “Right here, see? As I always am!” The girl gave a light pat to him, then tried to pull away again, resulting in an even tighter grip than before. It had started to hurt a bit.

“No! Do you know how fucking worried I was?! I was in a panic when you left my sight, and I went everywhere trying to look for you, only to find you on the brink of unconsciousness!” He finally pulled away from the hug, but still kept his hands on her bare shoulders. His eyes locked with her own. “Don’t ever leave my sight again, okay?...please…” Alaric’s head fell, now resting on the girl’s shoulder, body shaking as tears fell out of his eyes. Leonora brought a hand up to stroke his deep brown hair in an attempt to soothe him. 

“Okay, Alaric…I promise…”

ஓ๑•๑ஓ

__

She heaved out a nostalgic sigh. Her childhood had always brought upon fond memories, and very nice things to reminisce over. 

__

Leonora looked toward her holy tome, flipping to the third page, looking over all the names of people important to her. 

__

Even with this curse on her memory, she would be sure to cherish those she held dear to her heart, both new and old. 

__

As she reminisced, her eyes skimmed over the newly written name she added that morning.

__

Lupin Leviz.

__

ஓ๑•๑ஓ

__

Alaric heard the door creak open from his hiding spot, signaling Leonora’s return to her chambers. 

__

He was going to find out what was in that book that was so important. 

__

If he remembered correctly, that morning she flipped three pages into the tome before starting to write, and the positioning of her arm suggested she was writing towards the bottom of the page. 

__

Once she closed the door, Alaric made his way closer, in an attempt to hear her. He also had a basket of amenities, just in case anyone asked what he was doing waiting outside her room. He would say, ‘The lady is getting dressed as of right now, so I’m waiting. Can a man not respect a woman’s privacy?’

__

Tch.

__

Alaric was shaken out of his thoughts by the sound of Leonora’s voice. He leaned closer to the door, desperate to hear her heavenly tones.

__

There was shuffling, signaling that she had moved into her bed, then a tired sigh. “I really hope it works tonight, I’d really like to see him again…”

__

...who…

__

‘Him’?

__

Who was ‘him’?

__

Alaric’s heart started to coil a bit, and his grip on the basket tightened. The simple mention of another boy, one she wishes to see, bothered the angel for some unknown reason. 

__

As he’s previously calculated (for reasons he shall not state), it takes Leonora exactly 4 minutes and 33 seconds to fall asleep, and 1 minute had already gone by, so he waits.

__

And waits…

__

...what kind of boy could get Leonora’s attention just like that?

__

What kind of boy was it that he didn’t know who it was?

__

He knew everyone that associated with Leonora, but not a boy she was so hopeful to see. 

__

He wanted to know, if only to relieve his curiosity, but wouldn’t that damage his heart? 

__

Why should it?

__

Why?

__

…

__

4 minutes, 33 seconds.

__

Alaric gripped the door handle, and twisted it slowly as not to make a sound. He regulated his steps to be as quiet as possible. 

__

He saw her small figure covered by the blanket, rising and falling with each breath she took. 

__

With each step he took, he felt more and more paranoid. What would happen if she caught him? That tome was extremely important to her, a priceless artifact that was not meant for his prying eyes, only hers.

__

But, it was now or never. 

__

Slowly, Alaric stepped over to the bedside table, that thick book filled to the brim with secrets and wonders lay still in front of him...practically telling him to open it.

__

And so he did. 

__

The boy set down the basket he was once carrying softly onto the ground, and set his eyes onto the holy tome. A hand reached out to stroke it’s heavily decorated exterior. He noticed many holy motifs on the cover, fitting of something Leonora’s father would own.

__

Alaric proceeded to pick up the beautiful book, it was quite heavy in his hands, which is probably why he saw it floating most of the time. 

__

Remembering Leonora’s positioning that morning, he turned 3 pages, and looked towards the bottom. 

__

This was it. 

__

The entire page had been filled to the brim with names, and she titled it, ‘People I care very much about!’ with cute little hearts around it.

__

Yep, this was definitely Leonora’s.

__

He spotted his name somewhere along the list, as well as many of their other childhood friends. Descriptions were neatly written next to each name. 

__

As he read and got to the bottom, he froze.

__

Lupin Leviz. 

__

…

__

Why is that sick bastard’s name in here? And more importantly…

__

Why did she write it in this morning?

__

Why…?

__

So many questions wracked up in the caramel-skinned angel’s mind, and he was so desperate for answers.

__

...Alaric decided to return the tome to its rightful place. 

__

Picking up the basket of amenities, he was going to make his way out of the room (and inevitably worry about his findings along the way) , if it wasn’t for Leonora’s mumbling.

__

Well, more like sleep talking.

__

“It’s...you...Lu...pin...mm” she mumbled. 

__

Alaric’s eyes widened.

__

He heard that correctly, didn’t he?

__

A very large part of him hoped he didn’t.

__

Was she having a dream about...that bastard of a creature? Or maybe a nightmare? Is that why she had written his name in her tome? Perhaps it was so she could stay cautious of him, like a ‘your enemy knows you best’ type of thing. 

__

That had to be it, right?  
Yeah, that’s definitely it.

__

__

Having convinced himself that was the case, Alaric went over to Leonora’s bedside.

__

A slight blush adorned his cheeks as he tenderly brushed the blonde strands of hair out of her face. Staring at the serene expression that fell on Leonora's features, he smiled in content.

__

He then planted a small kiss upon her forehead, to hopefully rid her of the nightmares he convinced himself that she was having.

__

Alaric heaved out a soft sigh, and quickly made his way out of the room before any trouble had been caused, dimmed golden wings flapping behind him.

__

He had a lot of thinking to do tonight.

__

ஓ๑•๑ஓ

__

It was as Leonora suspected, she came upon the hill and tree again in her dreams, the moon shone brightly, casting its watchful gaze over the entirety of the dreamy field

__

She looked closer...

__

...And there sat Lupin, relaxing under the tree and ever-glowing moonlight.

__

The girl admired him from afar. The way the luminance and celestial aura highlighted the tip of his nose, and the serene expression that befell his face. A slight breeze blew across the field, lightly ruffling his white hair. The gem on his forehead let out a faint glow, and as if on queue, he looked back.

__

They locked eyes, and pale pink met bright gold.

__

Whatever would they talk about on this lovely night?

__


	4. Reminiscing of the Past

Leonora’s legs carried her over to the spot in which the kitsune sat, and planted her right next to him. Unbeknownst to her, petals from the flowers in the field stuck themselves to her dress, emitting a pleasant aroma. Lupin must have noticed, and he plucked one from the white expanse that was her dress. The angel blushed, wings flapping the slightest bit.

“Welcome back, little angel~” the fox started, “It seems you’ve brought along a few gifts with you, hehe~” His tone was laced with teasing, as he stared expectantly at the girl, waiting for a reaction.

Luckily for the white haired male, Leonora was an expressive individual.

The girl’s eyes widened, and an intense blush laid across her perfectly plump cheeks. 

“H-hey! I didn’t ask for these flowers to stick to me!...And get that smirk off of your face!” that only made the white haired boy’s smirk grow wider, “hmph!” she exclaimed, arms crossed across her chest.

Turning her head away from the teasing fox, she spoke in a quiet voice, “And to think I was looking forward to seeing you tonight.” 

The smirk that was present on Lupin’s face went away, and was instead replaced by a look of curiosity and hope, a hope that she wasn’t joking when she said that. He wasn’t really someone people wanted to see, and...

...Something about the thought of her wanting to see him again...a warmth filled within his chest.

“You...you were actually looking forward to seeing me again?” The kitsune’s eyes twinkled in delight, and his mouth formed an ‘O’ shape.

He had such an adorable expression on his face, and Leonora couldn’t just ignore it. It’s as if there was...a longing in his eyes, for a confirmation of some sort.

She smiled softly, the corners of her eyes lifted ever so slightly, “Hehe, well of course! I had enjoyed my short time with you quite a bit, much to my own surprise...it turns out that you aren’t the monster the world makes you out to be when in our little dream, are you?” 

“...I…” the white haired male started, seemingly trailing off. He averted his eyes from her form. So she’d heard of him and his horrendous acts. Of the numerous deaths he’d caused to her people. How could she say that with such warmth laced in her voice, which came out like sweet honey. Lupin looked back to the white-winged angel.

She was practically radiating light into the darkness that veiled the sky. An inviting smile was present on her face. Lupin had never seen, no, met someone so bright, so kind. 

This kindness...it wasn’t something he wanted to lose, even though he’d only had it for such a short amount of time. Just this once, he’d be selfish. Just this once would he look to someone with such fondness in his eyes. Just this once, he would allow himself to be happy.

“Yes, I am not what they say I am when I’m here.” The man answered confidently, “...after all, I wouldn’t want to harm you in any way, since you’re just such a nice girl~” Though the delivery on his last sentence was teasing, his face held such warmth and happiness, and his pink orbs seemed brighter than before. He meant it when he said that.

Leonora didn’t notice before, but amidst her observing him, she noticed that the boy had a scar running over his left eye, cutting through his eyebrow like the slash of a sword. There were creases on the edge of the scar, where it met his pale skin. It must have been a deep cut as well, because she could see the tiniest amount of blood seep out from the crevices, painting them with crimson. The blood wasn’t noticeable unless one looked really hard, however.

She unconsciously brought her hand up to the scar, cupping Lupin’s cheek. Her thumb brushed against the damaged skin that was his scar, feeling it’s roughness and bumps. “You poor thing…” the angel said to herself, though loud enough for the kitsune to hear.

The comment flew right over his head, however, and he leaned into the girl’s touch. The warmth that radiated from her hands relaxed him, and he wanted that warmth to stay.

It was a new feeling, something he had never thought he’d want more of. To say he was touch starved would be an understatement. His job called for zero compassion, only cold-hearted slaughter. He was good at what he did, sure, but it was at the cost of his happiness. So to be feeling Leonora’s hand against his cheek, her warmth seeping into his skin, it was a euphoric feeling.

Leonora snapped out of her trance, and quickly removed her hand from Lupin’s cheek (The boy already missed her touch, his mouth forming a small pout.) , and a faint blush flushed her in embarrassment. ‘D-Did I touch him?!’ she thought to herself. ‘Oh heavens why wasn’t I paying attention, he’s probably so weirded out!’ The angel looked back, and…

...why was Lupin pouting? 

His eyebrows were furrowed, mouth tugged down to show disappointment. The cheerful glint that was in his eyes before had disappeared, leaving the normal dull-pink of his iris. Leonora tilted her head in confusion, to which the boy’s face grew even more distressed. 

“Why did you move your hand?”

It was a simple question, but it still flustered the angel.

“W-What?! I-I didn’t mean touch you in the first place, it just kinda happened! And plus, y-your skin was really soft a-and I got distracted even more- oh heavens that sounds weird doesn’t it, gah! I-I won’t do it again I pr-”

The girl’s rambling ‘apology’ was cut short by the feeling of a cold hand on her wrist, which was brought up to the cheek of the fox, the same place where it was before. Her thumb brushed over the scar over his eye unintentionally, causing the kitsune to emit a low, satisfied hum. Leonora’s face was filled with deep shades of red in an instant. ‘W-What in the world is he doing?!’ she thought to herself. The angel went to pull away her arm, resulting in a tighter grip from the fox.

“Don’t move away...It feels nicer here…” Lupin spoke with such fondness, warmth seeped out of the baritone melodies of his voice, like warm honey. The girl was so surprised, she thought she was hearing things. 

As the kitsune loosened his grip on her wrist, Leonora sighed and didn’t pull away. He seemed to enjoy the feeling of her hand on his cheek, evident by the way he leaned into her touch, and a serene expression falling over his face. He looked so at peace, and she didn’t want to disturb him, so she opted to stay silent and listen to her own heartbeat.

The silence was comfortable, but then broken by Leonora’s own curiosity.

“Lupin?” the girl called, and the boy’s ears perked up as he let out a ‘hm?’, eyes not opening and mouth still closed. “How did you get this scar?” she asked as she ran a thumb over the scar, as to indicate the subject of her question.

The fox’s eyes opened to the question, pink iris’ locked with her own gold pools, his cheek still lay in Leonora’s touch.

“That…” he started, “That’s a long story, you don’t mind if I take a while, do you dearie~?” He added the nickname on as a force of habit. Said girl blushed a bit, and nodded in affirmation.

“That’s fine! It’s worth it if I get to find out more about you!” Leonora beamed at him, and he chuckled. She was always so happy, wasn’t she?

“Then, I guess I’ll start from...oh, right! So, It was about a century ago…”

ஓ๑•๑ஓ

_A young boy sat in a cell, a tattered white peasants shirt and brown pants were all that covered him. He seemed to be only about 17 in human years, though had exhibited great amounts of strength when coming down to hell._

_Bright, white, fluffy hair covered his head, and his eyes were a brilliant shade of pink. Those eyes of his, though, glinted dangerously. What had he done to get himself into this situation? He regretted it, he regretted not believing. He regretted crossing through that portal. He regretted leaving his family behind, he regretted it all._

_“To fight is to exhibit virtue and justice.” His father once told him. Then what was this? Fighting to survive, to please the eyes that were locked onto him, wondering if he would die. He didn’t ask to be thrown into this gods-damned hellish tournament. He didn’t want to needlessly slaughter beasts purely for the sake of entertaining the disgusting eyes that watched him._

_He could hear the cheering of a multitude of hellish…‘creatures’ outside the walls of his cells. It must’ve been time already. He dreaded what was to come in the passing moments._

_“Oi, kid,” a deep, gurgling voice called out to him, “That’s your cue, get out of here before I decide to devour you, gahahahaha!” The eight tentacled...thing laughed, and threw open the doors to his cell._

_The boy left with no words, not wanting to entertain the idea of being eaten by that ‘thing’._

_It was time, and he wouldn’t fail. He had to get out of this place, even if it meant fighting to the death for his freedom._

_And, so, the boy came upon an opening. An opening he’d crossed many times before to access the arena._

_As he walked out, he could hear the (literal) demons that surrounded him chanting out in various voices. Most of them drowned out, however. He didn’t like to pay mind to their ridiculous yelling._

_The katana that sat at his hip was being threatened to be pulled out from its sheath. He wished he could put an end to all those hideous creatures in the crowd. He was tired of this little ‘game’ he was thrown into._

_He was shaken out of his thoughts by the loud rumble that came from his north. The gates had opened, revealing a slim figure, probably about 5 and a half feet tall. The boy could make out only short brown hair, and he wondered…_

_Was that another human?_

_His question was answered easily, as sly hazel orbs stared into his own pink pools. The figure walked closer, his caramel skin glistened from the glow of the torches flames. Bright golden wings dragged behind him, and that’s when the white-haired male realized, this was no human._

_This was an angel. An angel of the thrones, to be precise._

_Thrones angels served only second to the cherubims in terms of rankings. The cherubims sat under the seraphim, who sat under god himself. Thrones were known to be beings of tremendous power and energy. They are easily identified due to their boldly colored wings, typically gold._

_He was supposed to face that??_

_A sense of dread filled the boy, as he saw the angel summon a spear out of thin air. Not short of magical prowess either, he notes._

_With a swift move of his hand, he unsheathed his katana, knowing there was no way in hell (literally) that he was going to make it out alive stuck in an arena with an angel._

_But a part of him had to stay determined if he wanted to go back to his family. Either that, or he died here, in this disgusting arena full of hellish creatures._

_He hadn’t a moment more to ponder in his thoughts, as a deep, rough voice exited the angel's lips in front of him._

_“I’m sorry, human, but I’ll be the one to get out of this wretched place. Now…” The angel lunged forward, making the dull end of his spear knock into the white-haired male with full force, sending him flying back. A loud grunt escaped his lips._

_“Show me what you’re capable of!”_

_The human let out a heavy gasp as he felt blood trickle down his side from the impact. He pushed himself up, hand grasping the katana’s hilt. His bright pink eyes now dulled, a dangerous glint crossing them._

_“It would be my pleasure, angel.” He was sure to add an extra emphasis to his words, as to throw him off. The human lunged forward, slashing at the angel’s stomach. He narrowly missed due to the golden winged boy’s nimbleness._

_The angel of thrones dove back in, wings rapidly flapping behind him, and stabbing towards the pink eyed man’s shoulder. He successfully connected, resulting in a string of blood to spurt from the human’s shoulder. A struggled grunt escaped his lips, and he immediately grasped his shoulder in an attempt to stop the blood._

_The white-haired male decided he’d focus more on dodging the onslaught of attacks that came from the angel. His father had taught him the art of fencing, so he used the fancy footwork to his advantage._

_Jab, jab, jab. A flurry of jabs from the gold tinted spear came his way, and with each jab, it became harder to dodge. Blood now started to seep from the wounds caused by the long blade, and it was clear that he wasn’t going to win this battle._

_Honestly, though, death would be a much better fate than suffering eternally in hell._

_...all that talk, and he’d already given up, huh? It didn’t matter anymore to him._

_So he allowed the angel to stab him, the pain became numbing, and the crowds drowned out voices started to enter his ears again._

_He felt a sharp sting on his left eye, and he let out a blood-curdling shriek. The pain hadn’t entirely faded after all, had it? Red filled his sight, it must’ve been blood. Hot, boiling blood._

_He was scared._

_For the first time in his life, he was scared._

_He didn’t want to die._

_How cowardly of him._

_Burning hazel eyes stared daggers into his pink orbs, as if to say he’s already won. And to be honest, he has._

_“Goodbye, human. It pains me to put an end to an innocent life.”_

_He brought the gold-tinted spear down to the human’s heart._

_Pink pools shut tightly, waiting death’s sweet embrace._

_It never came, however.  
A strong gust of wind blew through the arena, blowing out the light of the torches. The cool sensation soothed the human’s open wounds, and he felt the weight of the angel get pushed off of him. _

_A smooth, deep voice came out from the dust that covered the arena, “That’s enough, now. The angel has won, he shall return as per the contract.”_

_Bright green eyes looked toward the human. The figure that shielded him was at least 6 feet tall, long, black flowing hair cascaded down his back._

_“The human will come with me…” He raised up his hand, and the white-haired man felt a sharp pain in his forehead, he let out another heart-wrenching scream. He felt something grow from the center of his forehead, as well as the top of his head._

_The former human examined his hands. Sharp claws had grown in place of his human nails. His skin transitioned to a deathly pale tone. His pink eyes widened in horror._

_The boy brought his hands up to his head, only to find that he had sprouted sharp, almost cat-like ears.  
He looked up to the figure in front of him once more._

_“From now on your name Shall be Lupin. Lupin Leviz.” The unknown figure proceeded to teleport them out of the arena. ___

__ஓ๑•๑ஓ_ _

__As Lupin finished with his explanation, Leonora’s lips quivered. She gripped her dress, and tried her hardest not to cry. Why in the world was she so emotional all of a sudden?_ _

__The angel looked to Lupin, and he had a concerned look on his face. His eyebrows furrowed, a frown appeared on his mouth, “What’s wro-”_ _

__He couldn’t finish his sentence, as the girl reached out and pulled him in for an embrace. The foxes eyes widened. Her arms felt so nice around him..._ _

__“I’m so sorry that...that you had to...to go through something so awful…” her grip on him tightened with each passing word. She was exhibiting the same kindness and warmth she showed earlier, and it enveloped him._ _

__No one had noticed, or even dared to sympathize with him. But here Leonora was, filling him with her warmth and light. Her hands clutched onto the red fabric of his demonic uniform, daring not to let go._ _

__Lupin's hand eventually found their way to her back, and returned the embrace._ _

__He was happy here, and he would be sure to protect this light, for he had only just now caught it._ _


	5. Mixing with the Royals

Dull pink eyes opened slowly, not a semblance of warmth remained when Lupin awoke. The passion, the kindness in her voice disappeared when she faded away from the dream. The boy found himself missing her immediately, and he scolded himself for getting too attached to the angel.

...it was nice, though, to have someone you could call a friend. Someone that could listen to your troubles, someone that you were happy to be around.

That’s what his mentor told him, that’s what he said a friend was. 

Lupin let out a weak yawn, bringing his arms above his head in the process. He heard a ‘pop!’ in his back, and relaxed his bones. He brought a hand up to his eyes to rub the sleep out of them.

The boy let out a heavy sigh, and looked out the window of his room. He’d thought about her again this morning, hadn’t he? This same thing happened the day before, and he didn’t understand the feeling that stirred in his stomach. It was a feeling of mixing emotions, a yearning, a confusion, a happiness, a sadness...all of which he hadn’t experienced all at once like this.

It was pleasant though, especially when she held his face in her small, warm hands...

Lupin brought his hand up to his eye, wincing at the now unfamiliar cold sensation. The angel’s warmth faded away as soon as he made contact with his skin. So, that was only exclusive to Leonora, now, was it? He hadn’t felt a warmth that was so comforting from anyone else, a touch so gentle and so compassionate. 

She was a special girl, that one. 

His mind lingered on the little things about her. The way her hair brushed against her face when a gust of wind would blow through their secret garden. The way the moon highlighted her eyes that looked so similar to honey. The way her smile would light up the darkness around him, and how much he missed it. 

Lupin let out a tired groan. 

What had Leonora done to him?

He sure wouldn’t find out just sitting here, pondering over her constantly. He had work to get to, after all.

And by work he meant those little brats, the heirs to Hell’s throne. 

The king of hell, Lucifer, had asked Lupin to help in training his four children. Lucifer was fully aware of the kitsune’s combat abilities, the boy was the top angel hunter in hell, and one of (if not the) best in Lucifer’s army. 

Lupin had been raised to kill, after all. Since the moment he set his foot through that portal all those years ago, his fate was sealed. The arena he was thrown into was not a forgiving one. Shed blood, or your life is lost. That’s what he was told from the get-go, and oh how true those words turned out to be. Both his blood and others were shed, yet he’d always come out on top. 

The final round had done him in, however. The image of that gold-winged angel ascending to the heavens, of the glare he held when he was barraged with attacks from that gold tinted spear, of the blood that filled his vision, and of the silhouette of his now mentor.

Lupin’s mentor was responsible for the extensive combat experience he acquired. The man taught him of magic, refined his already-learned swordplay, showed him the secrets only a select few knew in hell.

He was responsible for turning Lupin into...well, Lupin. The demonic kitsune, the angel’s bane, light’s enemy. That’s what he was molded to be, and it’s what he will continue to be.

It really puzzled the fox, why his mentor decided to take him under his wing, to care for him. Was it an experiment of some sort? A sick, twisted experiment, turning a human into a demon. Or perhaps his mentor simply did it out of the kindness of his heart? 

‘Tch, allowing me to die in that dirt hole would’ve been a much kinder act.’ Lupin thought to himself. Each time the boy asked his mentor the reason why he helped him, the old man would just ignore the damned question and scold him on how he hadn’t been practicing enough. It was simply embedded into his wise nature. 

Lupin decided he’d visit his mentor later in the day. He wouldn’t have time to stop by the old man’s place right now, he had to get to the palace. And judging by his previous visits, he’d take a while to get there.

The boy threw on his crimson uniform, which became his trademark, and fixed up his hair. He looked at himself in the mirror that lay in his bedroom, deeming his appearance to be passable. The kitsune hustled out of his mundane looking home. He didn’t want to be late for the scheduled appointment, he’d seen the extent of Lucifer’s wrath.

There were many tiers (more commonly referred to as circles) to Hell, and each tier held a certain strength of demon in it. Lupin resided in the first tier, along with the royal family and their esteemed guard. He had proven himself worthy using his power, and luckily earned himself a spot in a comfortable portion of Hell. The tiers below him were far worse than tier one, with gut-wrenching demons crawling the streets of run-down cities. Succubi at every corner (He once had to fend off an entire swarm of them on his own while on an expedition), waiting to get their dirty little hands on any passerby they saw. Fights were common in the streets, and many resulted in casualties.

Hell was truly...well, Hell. Monsters ran rampant in every corner.

Lupin passed by many sights, particularly noting the entrance to Hell. Grand, crimson gates with notes of obsidian, they taunted him. He would be able to pass through back to his original realm if it weren’t for the fact that he was turned into a demon, and was forever bound by Hell’s chains. 

He’d gone through there once before, when he discovered that portal in the human realm. The boy was only seventeen at the time, and his curiosity overtook him. It was the worst decision of his life. Lupin particularly remembers being greeted by a hotel-like lobby. Many souls were passing through, and he remembers the concierge looking uniform one of the demons wore. The boy never got that demon’s name, but he assumed that it was important enough to be entrusted with departing souls.

The kitsune was shaken out of his thoughts of the entrance by the sight of the palace before him. It’s grand stature shadowed over the surrounding land, engulfing it in darkness. Yet, there was a strange beauty to be found in that darkness. He closed his eyes.

It wasn’t the same as Leonora’s light, in which it emitted such happiness and joys. Her light erased him of his worries, allowing him to be at peace. When he usually saw red, he would see bright, blinding white. The color of the feathers on her wings. It enveloped him each time he saw it.

No, this darkness was beautiful in that it hid away truths deep within its shadows. It shielded onlookers from the cruel reality of this disgusting world. Unlike light, which blinded him and made him forget, putting him at peace, the darkness edged him on. It tempted him to discover the cruel truths, and it worried him. 

There was beauty in that too, he thought.

His pink pools shot open at the sound of someone calling his name. “Ah, Lupin! You’ve arrived just in time!” The voice was deep, but welcoming. It was the voice of a man who cared for his people, of a man capable to rule.

None other than Lucifer himself.

Lupin looked up to the King of Hell and bowed deeply, as to display his respect. He crossed a clawed hand over his heart “Hello, your majesty. I’m honored that you’ve entrusted me with the training of your children. I will help them to the utmost of my ability.” Lupin wasn’t used to being so formal, he was usually laid back and quite sly, but he didn’t want to risk anything around Hell’s ruler.

An amused grin formed on the King’s face, “Hahahaha, now now Lupin, I’ve told you already haven’t I? There’s no need to be so formal with me!” Lucifer let out a hearty laugh and patted the kitsune quite roughly, almost sending him forward into the ground.

Lupin let out a cough, startled by the king’s greeting. He was always told to be comfortable around the royals, that he didn’t need to worry about such formalities. The king was a kind soul to be sure, but…

Lupin knew it was all a front, to cover up the ruthlessness the man held.

And so, the kitsune obliged. He plastered a smirk on his face, a sign that he was comfortable. “My apologies, sir. I’ll try my best to be a little less tense around your family. Now, what field exactly is it that they need help honing?” The boy gave a questioning glance to the man.

Lucifer sighed, and it was a heavy sigh. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. “Lupin, my boy...everything. They need help with everything.” Stress was evident on the king’s face, eyebrows forming creases in his skin. Were those kids really that helpless? To the point that the king had gotten creases from it?

‘I’ve got my work cut out for me, huh?’ The pink eyed fox thought to himself. 

The king started to head for the door, whilst calling out for him, “Come, Lupin. Let me introduce you to the little ones.” An audible groan could be heard as he opened the gates, Lupin followed suit. He stepped into the home of the royals.

The inside of the palace was as the fox expected, fancy tapestries hung along the smooth walls. The ceiling was adorned with a grand black-gold chandelier, flames burning passionately in a bright orange. Along the walls hung portraits of the royal family, and photos of each child discovering their talents.

The ground floor had been littered with plush red armchairs, and a lounge chair across from each. “Go ahead and take a seat, Lupin, and make yourself comfortable. I’ll have the kids come introduce themselves to you.” Lucifer addressed him so casually, he was still having trouble getting used to this welcoming atmosphere. Something was just...off. The fox couldn’t figure out what, though.

“Marx, Elise, Hina, Kyoko! Come on down here, I’ve got someone to introduce you all to!” The king yelled out to his four children. For some reason Lupin expected Lucifer to send a servant, but no, he just...yelled for them?

Things were so casual in the palace, more than he’d anticipated.

The sound of footsteps flooded his senses. Multitudes of footsteps tapping on the marble floors, which turned into plush velvet carpet. Lupin looked up from his place on the sofa, and was met by four bright pairs of eyes, each glimmering with great curiosity.

Lucifer chuckled, the creases that were in his forehead seemed long gone now. The king seemed happy, and his children seemed...quite eager to introduce themselves.

A boy with spiky, shiny silver hair and a girl with dark, mid-back length twintails spoke simultaneously, unaware of who was going to go first,

“Hey there! I’m Marx-”  
“Nice to meet you, my name is Elise-”

The two looked at each other after a long pause, a glint of annoyance in their clashing eyes.

The silver-headed boy, now known as Marx, let out a scoff, his eyebrows furrowed as he glared at his sister. Marx crossed his arms over his chest, and looked down on Elise. 

“How rude of you, Elise, to interrupt me whilst I’m in the middle of introducing myself! Ugh, dad you see this awful behavior, don’t you? I think you should ground her, that’d teach her a lesson!” He ended his...proposition with a small ‘hmph!’ as he turned away from the now angered girl.

“Wh- Interrupted you?! You interrupted me, Marx! Why do you always put the blame on me, huh?! I think you’re the one who should get grounded for a change, then you’d see how I feel everytime you do this-”

Elise was cut off by an angry Marx, red eyes widened as he raised his voice, “Me? Grounded?! Puh-lease tell me you’re joking El! I’m such a good kid, one could mistake me for an angel! You’re just putting the blame on me because you don’t wanna admit you’re wrong again!”

The twin-tailed girl let out a snarky laugh, amusement glimmered in her black eyes, “Pfft-! You, a good kid? Now that’s a joke if I’ve ever heard one! Get out of here you stupid jerk, guards-!”

That comment seemed to irk the silver haired boy, he immediately started yelling at the poor girl, “Oh you absolute bitch-!” 

The two siblings immediately devolved into a fit of arguing, throwing insults left and right. A boy with fluffy black hair facepalmed as he walked up to Lupin, who sat in his spot with such confusion.

He removed his hand from his face, revealing a pair of crimson red irises that bore into the foxes own pink, “Sorry about those two imbeciles, I’m Kyoko, youngest of us four, though I like to think I’m the most mature. Certainly more so than those two.” He pointed to the still arguing pair, who were currently being dragged off to a corner by Lucifer, probably to scold them.

“Ah, it’s nice to meet you Kyoko. You can call me Lupi-”  
The kitsune was cut off by Kyoko, who held up his hand to signify for him to stop talking, “No need. We all know who you are. We’ve heard of your many accomplishments, and your brutal power. Why else would you be here to help train us?” 

Ah, that’s right. He’s pretty infamous isn’t he? He forgets that little fact quite often.

A small, soft voice interrupted their introduction. The fox looked over to see a very short girl, her dark hair cascaded down her back, and her bright silver eyes looked up at him. 

Once again, this girl was very short. Especially compared to Lupin, who was very tall.

“Hey hey, Mister, I’m Hina. You hear that correctly? Hi-na...hmm…” she paused for a moment, then spoke, “you have really nice hair...and your ears look fluffy...can I touch them, Mister?” 

Wh-

What the fuck.

As odd as the request was, this was a member of the royal family, so he couldn’t turn her down. Lupin bent down so that Hina could at least somewhat reach his head, and he eventually felt a combing through his hair, as well as a few strokes on his ears.

It felt nice, but Leonora’s touch made him feel so much more alive.

The short girl pulled away, allowing the kitsune to bring his head of platinum hair back up. Hina nodded to herself, a small smile appeared on her face, “Mmm, yes, your hair is very soft Mister. It would be a joy to play with, would you allow me to play with your hair another time, Mister?”

The fox nodded, not eager to see what happened if he refused the short girl. Royals were not well-known for giving simple punishments, especially Hell’s own royalty. 

Speaking of punishments...

Lupin recalled one time, he was invited by to witness the torture of an angel that he captured in his murderous wake. Hell was ruthless with angels, bearing an indescribable grudge towards the white-winged creatures. So, when Lupin came barging into the place with an unconscious angel slung over his shoulder ( The kitsune never was able to pay attention to anything else besides killing when he was on the hunt, so he’d sometimes accidentally bring unconscious bodies with him.), the poor thing was taken from him immediately, and sentenced to torture via the iron horse method. 

He remembers it all. Watching as the angel was strapped to the device, wings desperately flapping in hopes that it could get out. The blade it was straddled onto cut through the middle of its body slowly, pained screams and wails could be heard amidst the cheering of the demons around him.  
It truly disgusted him, how much they enjoyed the pain displayed by another individual, especially an angel. 

The white-haired male had a thought. What if that was Leonora, being torn from the middle, screaming in agony, pleading for the pain to stop, the bright light that always surrounded her fading away...what would he have done then? Would he have still accepted the invitation, would he have still watched the gruesome sight?

His heart ached at the prospect of such a thing happening, she was an innocent girl, she did nothing wrong…

But then again, that angel did nothing wrong as well, did it?

‘No…’ he thought to himself, ‘I shouldn’t think about such things any longer.’ 

Luckily, the two brats from earlier came to distract him from his morbid thoughts, each sighing as Lucifer gave them a stern glare. 

The girl in pigtails started, a frown set on her face, “I’m...very sorry for the ruckus we caused, I’m Elise, third youngest of us four siblings. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Levis.” Elise ended with her hand over her chest, bowing her head ever so slightly. When she wasn’t in an all-out-war with her brother, the princess was actually very respectable.

The instigator of their not-so-little squabble was the last to introduce himself. “Yeah uh...sorry about my sister’s awful behavior,” a groan could be heard from the twin-tailed girl, and the boy continued,“ The name’s Marx, and if you couldn’t tell, I’m the oldest!” 

Kyoko scoffed, “Yeah, but you don’t act like it…” he muttered to himself. Marx turned his head, “You say somethin’ Kyo?” The black haired boy sighed, and shook his head.

Lucifer let out a hearty laugh, then looked to Lupin, a wide smile on his face, “As you can see, they are a lively bunch. But I promise you they are good kids. Good kids that need help from someone as skilled as yourself.”

Lupin nodded, “As I said before, I’ll do what I can, your highness.” 

The king motioned for Lupin and his children to follow him, and the fox stood up to his full height, and followed suit. Marx shuddered as he looked up to the pink-eyed male’s face, trailing behind him.

“You’re...really tall, Lupin. How did you get so tall?...Gasp, is it a secret training technique?! Ohhh I’ve been waiting to get my hands on some new training routines, you gotta tell me! C’mon, tell m-”

The silver haired boy was cut off by Lupin’s voice, who seemed quite proud that someone envied him,“I am not tall because of any training, it is simply happenstance...but it would seem you are quite interested in training, yes?” The shorter of the two nodded vigorously, and the white-haired male noticed the muscle on Marx’s arms. Quite odd for a child to have.

“That I most certainly am! Though, I’m really lackluster in magic, since I focus on close-combat…” His red eyes looked away, seemingly embarrassed by the fact. “Kyo is the real magic-nut, he studies every day,” Marx lowered his voice into a whisper, in hopes that the younger prince wouldn’t hear him, “Though, that’s at the cost of him looking like a twig.” 

Angered footsteps could be heard coming up from behind them, and Marx received a swift thwack to his head. “I heard that, you dunce. All you are is brawn and no brain, and I’ll have you know that the brain always triumphs over brawn.”

Hina had eventually caught up to them as well, her long black hair swayed behind her. She seemed to not pay any mind to her bickering siblings, and tugged on the sleeve of Lupin’s crimson uniform.

“Hey, Mister, would you mind if I didn’t train once we got to the training quarters…? I really don’t think I need the help, I’m really fast already! If I’m fast, then I’m good!” She demonstrated this by running very quickly ahead of the group, and back.

Lupin crossed his arms, “Sure, you may be quick on your feet, but there is usefulness in taking things slowly. You allow yourself more time to think about your next move, and the enemy less time to counter. That’s definitely something we’ll have to work on with you.”

Hina let out a small huff, slowing down her pace. “Ok then, if it’ll make me a better fighter, then it wouldn’t hurt to take your advice.” 

The short girl looked behind her, Elise was trailing farther than the rest of their little group, seemingly embarrassed about something. Her black eyes were averted to the ground, and she clutched her arm with her hand.

Hina shouted to the girl, “Hey, Elise! What are you doing all the way back there? Come over here and talk with the Mister! He’s gonna help us train, remember?” 

The twin-tailed girl’s eyes widened, and she begrudgingly walked up to Lupin’s side. Her mouth moved as if to try and form some words, but none came out.

“What is the extent of your combat experience, Elise?” The kitsune questioned the dark haired girl, and she tensed up.

“U-uh…” her tensed shoulders tensed even more, seemingly caught off guard, “I-I am very well versed in the art of combat! I’ve fended off swarms of ruthless fanboys with my fists alone! Haha…”

Hina tugged on Lupin’s sleeve yet again, prompting him to lean down, and she whispered to him “She knows absolutely fucking nothing, if you couldn’t tell by that god-awful acting.” The shorter of the two girls let out a quiet snicker, and Elise let out a flustered gasp.

“I-I…” she sighed in defeat, relaxing her tensed shoulders, “It’s true, I know next to nothing about combat-”

Marx cut her off, leaving Kyoko to his lonesome, “Yeah, she only knows how to make bombs, haha!”

The twin-tailed girl stomped her foot onto the ground, trying her best to seem threatening (but failing miserably), “SHUT UP MARX! You didn’t need to tell him that!”

The two started bickering about Hell-knows-what again, so much so that they arrived at the training quarters in no time. The deep-maroon of the tall doors beckoned for them to enter immediately.

Lupin let out a heavy sigh, ‘Yeah, I’ve definitely got my work cut out for me.’


End file.
